"What's going on?!"
"The Immortal Battlefield... this — this is no joke!"
"Lord Fang Yuan, we're on the same side!"
Cries of alarm rose in succession from the Stone People and Snow Folk Gu Immortals, their eyes filled with deep wariness.
In the current era, humanity dominated. The Stone People and Snow Folk, as members of the variant race, clung to survival on the northern ice plains, facing immense pressure to simply stay alive. Any variant race member who managed to endure such conditions and achieve the status of Gu Immortal was naturally no fool.
Had it not been for the dense Seventh Transformation aura Fang Yuan exuded from head to toe, and the fact that his combat strength was widely recognized as being at the Eighth Transformation level, these Sixth Transformation variant race Gu Immortals would likely have attacked long ago.
Fang Yuan's expression remained unchanged. His gaze settled on the only Seventh Transformation expert among the variant race Gu Immortals, and he sighed: "Please, everyone, calm yourselves. As your ally, how could I possibly harm my companions? It's just that Langya Blessed Land has fallen — I alone managed to escape. The reason for our defeat is that there is a traitor among you."
"What? Defeated?!"
"Has Langya Blessed Land been conquered by Heavenly Court?"
"There's a traitor among us?"
Fang Yuan's words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the variant race Gu Immortals shaken to their core.
The only Seventh Transformation Snow Folk Gu Immortal furrowed his brow tightly: "Lord Fang Yuan, please open the Immortal Battlefield at once so we can contact our clan's elders!"
But the moment he finished speaking, his body suddenly convulsed, his eyes went wide, and he cried out in alarm: "My Immortal Gu!"
It was none other than Fang Yuan's Great Theft Ghost Hand, which had successfully stolen its target this time.
The other variant race Gu Immortals were completely bewildered. One of them asked with concern: "Lord Bing Zhuo, what's wrong?"
Indeed, this Snow Folk Gu Immortal left behind at the base camp was none other than Bing Zhuo. He had a relatively good relationship with Fang Yuan, and had once even treated him to his privately brewed Ice Wolf Wine.
Bing Zhuo glared fiercely at Fang Yuan and was about to shout in rebuke, but Fang Yuan spoke first, pointing at him and declaring in a tone of absolute certainty: "You are the traitor!"
The variant race Gu Immortals were shaken once more.
"I am absolutely no traitor! Fang Yuan, you steal my Immortal Gu and then slander me — what exactly are you after?!" Bing Zhuo's fury erupted to the heavens. He reached out with both hands, and a pair of ice lances materialized from thin air, which he immediately gripped tightly as frigid energy of ice and snow radiated from his entire body.
Fang Yuan sneered, his voice tinged with an undercurrent of grief and indignation: "What I said is correct! What you heard is also correct. Look — the covenant on me hasn't activated at all. This Bing Zhuo is actually a Heavenly Court Gu Immortal in disguise! The real Bing Zhuo is already dead."
The other variant race Gu Immortals exchanged glances. The female Immortal Xue Er — Fang Yuan's nominal fiancée — spoke up: "Fang Lang, could you be mistaken? Lord Bing Zhuo has been with us the entire time."
"I really am not a traitor! There must be some misunderstanding here, Lord Fang Yuan. You have most likely fallen for the enemy's scheme to sow discord. I demand you return my Immortal Gu at once." Bing Zhuo's expression turned cold as he issued his ultimatum.
But the next moment, Xue Er's delicate body trembled, and a look of horror appeared on her face: "My — my Immortal Gu!"
Bing Zhuo was radiating intense cold energy, making it difficult for the Great Theft Ghost Hand to approach him, but stealing from Xue Er posed no problem.
"Fang Lang!" Xue Er stared at Fang Yuan in disbelief.
Bing Zhuo stepped forward, charging at Fang Yuan while roaring: "I knew all along there wasn't a single good human!"
Fang Yuan sneered: "A pathetic clown."
As he spoke, Yan Luo Zi leaped forth from his imperial robes, dozens of them converging into a single force as they charged toward Bing Zhuo and the other variant race Gu Immortals.
At this, Fang Yuan's malicious intent was laid bare. The variant race Gu Immortals finally abandoned all hope that this was some misunderstanding. After a moment of stunned silence, they charged at Fang Yuan one after another.
But how could their strength possibly compare to these Yan Luo Zi, each of which possessed Seventh Transformation combat power?
After a single clash, the variant race Gu Immortals' formation was shattered by the Yan Luo Zi, then split apart and surrounded, each forced into desperate solo combat.
Fang Yuan, assuming the mantle of the Yan Emperor, remained steadily in the rear, at ease, watching the variant race Gu Immortals fight the Yan Luo Zi.
The Yan Luo Zi may have been somewhat outclassed against the likes of Feng Jiuge, but against these variant race Gu Immortals, they were more than adequate.
Had Fang Yuan not been deliberately holding back, these Sixth Transformation variant race Gu Immortals would have been killed long ago under wave after wave of Yan Luo Zi.
Even the only Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal, Bing Zhuo, was locked in a bitter fight and couldn't break free.
Great Theft Ghost Hand!
Great Theft Ghost Hand!
Great Theft Ghost Hand!
Fang Yuan unleashed the Great Theft Ghost Hand in rapid succession, stealing the Immortal Gu from within the variant race Gu Immortals' Immortal Apertures one after another.
This was precisely why Fang Yuan had been holding back. If he pressed them too hard, the variant race Gu Immortals, driven to despair, would likely destroy their Immortal Gu and resources, leaving Fang Yuan with nothing for all his effort.